Campaigns should be informative

Campaigns should be informative

From Koran Tempo

Indonesia's first direct presidential election is a great leap forward in the country's political history towards a government of the people. This is thanks to the successful amendment of the 1945 Constitution by the People's Consultative Assembly despite the challenges this process threw up.

Now the presidential campaign teams are canvassing the public to gain support for their candidates. The question is whether these campaigns are politically informative.

Support secured by getting the endorsement of public figures, as in the campaign of presidential nominee Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is not useful. Such support is only symbolic and smacks of feudalism and militarism rather than any intellectual response.

This signature gathering, while it may be relevant in the House of Representatives, has no place in campaigning. Instead, the teams should emphasize policy by presenting the visions, missions and track records of their candidates.

DEDI FAUZI Cilegon, Banten